Mastering the basic ri sot t o-maki ng technique is a passport to

a whole new worl d of cul i nary pleasure. Don' t be deterred by

the continuous st i rri ng - the end more t han justifies the means.
jetting started
For a risotto to serve 4, you' ll need: 6 cups
(1.5 litres/ 48 fl oz) good-quality chicken or
vegetable stock, 20g butter, 1 tablespoon
olive oil, 1 chopped onion, 2 cups arborio
or other risotto rice (see page 1 2), 1 cup
finely grated parmesan cheese, 20g extra
butter, sea salt and cracked black pepper.
Keep the stock at a constant simmer, but
don' t let the temperature get too high or you
could use all the stock before the risotto
is cooked. If the stock is running low,
add some boiling water to the remaining
spoonfuls of stock in the pan.
creating a stir
Place the stock in a saucepan over medium
heat. Cover and bring to a slow simmer.
Heat a large saucepan over medium heat,
add the butter, oil and onion and cook
for 6 minutes or until the onion is soft and
golden. Add the rice to the onion mixture,
stirring for 2 minutes or until the grains
are translucent and coated with butter
and oil. Add the hot stock to the rice
1 cup (250ml/ 8 fl oz) at a time, stirring
continuously until each cup of stock is
absorbed and the rice is al dente. This
will take approximately 20-25 minutes.
the big finish
Stir through the parmesan, extra butter,
salt and pepper and serve immediately.
This will help to guarantee the smooth and
creamy finish you want. Perfectly cooked
risotto should sit in a creamy broth - it
shouldn' t be cooked to a dry mass. You
can add any number of flavourings in
the final minutes of cooking. Thinly sliced
fresh mushrooms or reconstituted dried
mushrooms such as porcini and their
soaking liquid is one classic example.
Smoked salmon strips, chopped dill and
lemon zest is another tempting variation.
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